This episode of Geeks Unleashed, "Episode 207 - The Black Phone 2," hosted by Mark and Stef, is a Halloween-themed discussion that covers gaming news, a new movie trailer, and a deep dive review of a horror sequel.
The main segments and topics covered include:
The majority of the episode is dedicated to reviewing the sequel, The Black Phone 2, which Mark and Stef agree is a clear cash grab after the success of the first film.
Story Shift & Focus
The first film was a "horror thriller," but the sequel is a full-on "horror supernatural" film, focusing more on the sister, Gwen, and her psychic abilities [53:37].
Both hosts were disappointed by the shift, wishing the sequel had instead focused on the brother Finny's trauma after his experience with the Grabber [56:57]. Steph was particularly turned off by the introduction of dream fighting, comparing it to A Nightmare on Elm Street (Freddy Krueger) [58:47].
Criticisms & Praises
Major Criticism: Despite the R/18 rating, no one dies in the entire movie, other than the three victims killed before the film's events [01:03:00].
High Points: They praised the acting (especially Ethan Hawke as The Grabber) and the film's visual style/cinematography [01:00:58].
They enjoyed the redemption arc for the father, Terrence, who has gotten sober after the first film and is dealing with the family's legacy of "the shine" [01:03:43].
The character of Armando, the camp supervisor who dedicated his life to finding the bodies of the original victims, was praised as a compelling figure [01:07:24].
Sequel Thoughts
For Halloween, Stef shared a few horror recommendations:
The episode closes with a discussion of older music players like the Walkman and MiniDisc, and the announcement that next week's episode will be a review of Revival Season 1.
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